Alan Gilbert's Munich Philharmonic concerts October 31–November 3 bolstered his reputation as a "consistently involving and insightful" (The New York Times) interpreter of Bruckner.
The concerts closed with that composer's Symphony No. 4, Romantic. The Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote:
"[Gilbert] lent a monstrous supernatural quality to the romantic search for transcendence through a smoldering pianissimo in the first violins and a threateningly stoic timpani roll. He shaped the distinctive horn motif in the Scherzo with a strict tempo and cool expression, while the circular string melody at the beginning of the finale sparkled with an understated endlessness. An evening as suspenseful as it was profound."
The Munich Abendzeitung said:
"Gilbert took a risk by countering the traditional serene style with which this composer is predominantly treated in Munich performances ... aiming in many ways to reach just the opposite: a billowing and forceful music full of life, performed with a tonal selectivity. Gilbert possesses an innate sensibility for crescendos and nuances. He is a remarkable conductor of Bruckner: he has something to say."
